Polishing Your Dragrace Skills.

[Frank Adams]

This is something that should be keeped in the back of our minds. Even the best Dragracers can be beat by a lesser bike if He's not on His game.
It really doesn't take much of a mistake to find yourself in the loss column. But unfortunately there going to be those guy's on thier Busa's that are going to get beat by the likes of let's say a zx-12.
Why? Because there going to feel the pressure of alot of zx-12 owners that want nothing better to do then show how thier bike can beat a Hayabusa.

I guess what I want to say is....

Polish your skills because there coming!!!

BE READY!!

....Frank

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Frank what are best ways to drill yourself on the street before you hit the strip?

 

[OB_maui]

Frank, that sword cuts both ways. If you worry about the other guy, you will lose. But you know that. In the lanes, I've been guilty of mentally f___ing with guys to throw them off, just as people have tried to do with me, but at some point, you have to ignore all the outside distractions and race your race. At this point I tell every one to treat every run like it's a single. If you do find yourself thinking about the other guy, don't think of him as your enemy, but as your friend, and hope that he does a real good job so you can have a great race.

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Yeah Maui drag racing is unique in that way. You can't just wear the guy out then pass him just before the traps.

But there are attitudes and practices you can build into your street riding that should help you at the strip.

For instance agreeing with the guy you ride most with that you'll try to take each other out at every light, stop street, etc.

Other than practising full power launches in traffic-free areas, I can't think of what else might help and I was hoping for some tips on that.

 

[Guest]

Supposedly the 12R is going to be quicker in the 1/4 mile and maybe a little faster than the Busa, I know they are coming but do they know we are waiting? If you ask me they have all the pressure on their shoulders they have a faster and quicker bike. I can't wait!!!

 

[OB_TurboTim]

DP, How about quick shifting,not over reving the motor,keeping as aero dynamic as possible and losing 50 pounds so we can be as light as the guy next to us.

 

[OB_maui]

Dirty Pete

Cutting a good light is a big part of the game. One of the things I like to do is not look at the cross street light for the yellow. I look strait ahead at my light only. Much more like a pro tree (what real drag racers should have). Of course you need to make sure there is no cross traffic! I love watching for people who are looking at the other light waiting for the advantage. I always beat them.

Calmness is a big part of racing for me. I've gone off on this before, mental preparation. But it's crucial.

Consistency and confidence, two big players. Also, very mental acts. Having good mechanical soundness does not only help the machine, but the rider too.

One last thing, roll out. Bikes are notorious for being hard to stage correctly. This is some thing that I'm not qualified to comment on too much as most of my experience is with cars. BUT, I do know that this is where I see the most guys loose. You need Brock, or Frank, or one of the other pros to comment on this for technique.

 

[OB_Konrad]

Maui,
I'm sorry, but what is "roll out"

 

[OB_maui]

Konrad

Depends who you ask, but to me it's the first moments of movement. Often resulting in a red light or reaction time measured on a calendar not a clock. Some of it has to do with where you place your front tire. Also, how well you can hold your bike while you're staged. Sometimes it's what kind of tire you have. In the cages we "cheat" by offsetting the front axle 2" giving a little head start advantage. Another thing is to run a taller tire. The way the guard beam works, you basically trick it in to thinking your still there, but your really moving. Can't do that one with bikes though.

As far a street practice, visualize the staging lights on the road, and be very intentional when you pull up to the "line"

If you're not familiar with drag racing, and plan on giving it a try, find some one who is. They'll save you a lot of grief. It's not nearly as easy as it looks.

*Note to any one, feel free correct me on this cause I'd like a better explanation my self.

 

[OB_Konrad]

Thanks Maui,
There are some folks here in Maine
that are into bike drag racing and I think
I'll follow your advice and check them out.

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Here is some pre-staging & staging advice Frank gave me a while ago. It's very detailed and helpful:

1. I'd roll around the water box so my front tire wouldn't get wet. (Have you ever seen somebody "dump" their bike on the way to the starting line?)
2. Back the bike to the damp EDGE of the water puddle. (Don't start in the middle of the puddle!)
3. Ok stand up with your wieght off the bike. Start your Burn Out. Now sit back down with the tire spinning. Slide the rear end from side to side. (This helps to get the entire tire hot & sticky) When your ready, Roll down on the thottle(spinning the tire faster) while your easing off the brake.
4. Stop, pick your groove to the line. It's time for your practice launch.( This is to get the feel of the clutch and see if your tire is hooking)
In most cases your practice launch is the same thing your trying to accomplish when you leave the line.
5. Get your bike straight, roll up to the first set of lights. This is where you set your rpm's. Run the R's up (6 grand is a good place to start) with your front brake locked. Ease off the brake until the next stageing light comes on.
6. When you leave the line you want to start slipping the clutch out the same time your rolling down on the thottle.
Remember DP, you want to do this as fast as you can. But too much will cause either wheel spin or a wheelie.
Find your sweet spot! If your tire doesn't spin at 6k try 7k then 8k, keep going until your tire breaks loose.
Once you find the rpm that doesn't break the tire loose start getting more aggressive with your clutch. Slide it out so the front end won't come up. If it starts coming up, pull back in on the clutch a little bit to keep the front end down. (this is the hardest part I think)

[This message has been edited by Dirty Pete (edited 02 January 2000).]

 

[OB_Mr9R]

Also, if your racing on the street from a stop light, dont line up on the "stripes" in the intersection, thats an easy way to bust a tire loose, also watch when you are approaching the other side of the street for those stripes. That paint can be REALLY slick! watch out for oil spots to. it sounds obvious but I have seen people line up in antifreeze or oil and then say "DAMN that was spinning hard! Guess I got more power than I thought!" NOT!!!!!!

I have found it useful to pay attension to the lights as they change before yours turns green, but dont go as far as to have your head turned to look at them. If you are familiar with that intersection take notice of how long it takes after the light turns red, for your light to turn green. there are no timers to give you a red light for leaving .1 seconds to early on the street!! that .1 can be all the difference when you are at speed!

There will be busas that beat 12s and 12s that beat busas. Its all about who does their job better..

[This message has been edited by Mr9R (edited 02 January 2000).]

 

[OB_maui]

Those are good points Mr9rR. Street racing is not the same as drag racing though. In drag racing there are many, many rules. Regarding safety equipment, conduct, dispute resolution, handicapping, etc.

In street racing there are no rules.

I'd leave on the red as soon as it was clear of cars if I was street racing. I'd try to push you over to the junk parts of the street, the ones you mentioned. Also, brake tests were always acceptable when I used to do that kind of stuff. That's probably why I don't street race any more.

 

[OB_Mr9R]

Your right Maui. There is nothing quite like the rush you get street racing but being at the strip is just awesome, you are around people that love doing the same thing as you in a CONTROLLED environment. If any of you guys have gone to a NHRA national event you know what Im talking about. When they are warming up the fuelers and they suck the air right out of your lungs... Brings a tear to my eye everytime...but thats probally from the nitro.

 

[OB_fastzx9]

These are the types of threads I like!

**** Warning - not for the eyes of the adept drag-racer!!! ****


Roll-outs can be pretty confusing. I myself with my Zx-9 have found a sweet spot on the tree (where I leave) and my position on the starting line. The only thing that ever changes this combination or my approach to staging is roll-out. The change usually comes when I race different tracks. At my home track my method of staging and leaving nets me anything from a .415 to a .450 light. Sometimes when it gets darker and my eyes pick-up the bulb a little sooner I go into the .40's. This is standard practice and goes for all but a few tracks I race at.

The flip side to this is the tracks I race that don't seem to have similar roll-outs. One track that I noticed was a little inconsistent for me was Las Vegas (old track). I would run out of the right lane a cut my standard lights, then jump over to the left lane and be 2-3 hundredths off. In this case the left lane seemed a bit "loose" in it's roll-out. Probably the way the beam picked up (or lost) my front tire was a tad or a fraction of a second diferrent than the other lane. Maybe it was a fraction of an inch longer between the staging and the timing beams.... or maybe the way the track lays out there's a reflection or shadow which makes the pick-up a little harder... or maybe the light sits a fraction of an inch higher and it takes that fraction of a second longer for the tire to roll out of the beam.

Staging is almost a science. If I am running a "pro-tree" (getting all the ambers at once), I run out of the deep stage. This means I light both pairs of staging beams, then roll thru and take out the top pair of staging lights. With this method I leave on pure reaction from receiving the lights. If I run a "full-tree" (the ambers counting down), then I stage normally. When I receive the bottom amber I leave. But here, instead of it being a pure reaction launch, I make sure to "see" more of the light. In both staging cases, I run a shallow position in the beams.... which means I just barely light the amber and stop. To me, this makes me more consistent because I have a definate spot where I stage. A lot of guys just don't pay attention where they're at in the beams and wonder why they aren't real consistent in their 60 footers and reaction times. Follow this....

Where you stage defintely determines reaction times and e.t.'s... or more importantly... 60 footers. By leaving from the normal shallow stage position you actually get a bit of a "run" at the timing clocks. By going in deep, I can cut a better reaction time because I am closer to the timing beam, but shed a tenth or tenth and a half from my e.t. because I don't get that 6 inch run. For the bracket racer who dials his time, this way can work a little better. I can cut the better light, then dial a little "softer" or slower to compensate for slower e.t. For the guy who is looking the fastest... quickest.... e.t., the shallower you can stage the better. Just barely light the second set of staging lights and stop! This will ensure your biggest run at the lights.

My best advice for the "drag racer" is to be focussed. When I run my tire back into the water, it's all about me! I don't even know the other guy is over there... nor do I care. I go about my business, stage my bike, cut my light and hope it's enough. I look at one light... the bottom amber. I don't ever hear the other bike.... even bikes on two-steps I can block-out.

I staged my bike at Pomona last year and had an interesting thing happen. I was running a pro-tree in the finals and set my concentration on the bottom amber. By mistake, the tower gave us a full-tree and my competitor was off at seeing the top bulb. I actually didn't even see either the top or middle bulbs and left at seeing the bottom amber which I was focussed on. Interesting enough, all the lights were in my field of vision, as well as my competitor when she left. This was the first time I actually realized how glued I get on the line.

I think that's it for now.....whew

[This message has been edited by fastzx9 (edited 02 January 2000).]

 

[OB_Jay]

When you stage the vehicle and just turn on the second light on, you have broken a photo cell beam. The distance you can move before the photo cell connects again is the roll out. This is usually the distance from the front of the tire to the back at the cell height. This distance is usually how much you can move before the green without getting a red light.

Many racers have made up wooden disc the size of their front wheel and during track down time, they will take them up on the line, and measure the roll out for that particular track. It will be different for different tracks because of how high the beam is.

Also on some tracks, thew beam can shine through the wheel which in effect gives you no roll out. That is why you used to see so called "cheater disc" on bikes with wire front wheels.

If you "shallow stage" which is bearly get the light on, you will have the most roll out available for a head start. But if you "deep stage" which is using up all of the available roll out in staging, you have made the distance to the finish line shorter.

Jay

 

[OB_Wronglane]

Since I am trying to get the best ET when racing,I always stage as shallow as possible.

If you guys want to have some fun with your friends and and go about .5 tenths quicker than him on his own bike even if you both weigh the same,here is how.

Two years ago,a bunch of us rented the dragstrip out for the day.One of my friends had a CBR900 and the fastest he ever went was in the 11.30 range.While a few of us were having lunch,we notice him walking toward us,timeslip in hand and the biggest smile I ever saw him wear.One of us asks,"What did you run"?. Smiling,he says,"10.85"!In unison,we all laughed and the general reply,was,yeah,right! He forks over the ticket and sure enough,it read 10.85. We all looked at the slip with dropped jaws and disbelief.So how did he go a half second quicker while doing nothing different? Here's how.

If not for viewng him on tape,we would have never found out.When staging the bike,he drove through the first set of beams with the front tire and actually staged the bike with the back tire(lol)!What a sneak,huh? Since,we rented the track and it was all for fun,the starter let it go.So if you ever want bragging rights and want to have a little fun in the process(if you can get away with it),thats the ticket.

 

[OB_c.dolan]

Re: "Cutting the Light": Another variation, is the difference of the front tire "rolling out", and going straight up. The same apparent launch to light reaction, can give a different reaction time. Depends on front wheel initially going up, or out. Have pictures of my bike with front tire 2" ~ 3" off ground, at start................................ ....... .........Another variation, is what happens to your 60' time. Your front tire trips start beam, and is still in the air. Rear tire trips 60' beam. You get 60', plus 1 wheelbase time. Added cost: about .1 sec.

[This message has been edited by c.dolan (edited 03 January 2000).]

[This message has been edited by c.dolan (edited 03 January 2000).]

 

[OB_fastzx9]

It also helps to line up on the left side of the other rider in a street race when either giving or receiving the "go". When giving the headstart you can often see the clutch movement of the other rider before the bike actually moves, or if you're getting the headstart it conceals your clutch hand. For info sakes... the "go" is worth at least .3 of a second, and often much more if you are racing a real knucklehead.

 

[OB_fastzx9]

See..... a science!!!